On this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray welcomes Forest Flager, CEO and co-founder of Parspec, for an insightful conversation at the crossroads of technology and the construction industry. Forest shares his compelling journey from growing up in a construction family and working internationally as an architect and engineer, to leading a research group at Stanford and ultimately making the leap into SaaS startups. His winding path led him to co-found Parspec, a platform dedicated to modernizing procurement in construction through AI-driven solutions. 

Forest dives into how Parspec is tackling the unique challenges faced by wholesale distributors—those crucial intermediaries who connect designers’ technical demands with what’s available in the market. By leveraging AI, Parspec streamlines the process of parsing project specifications, identifying suitable products, and managing the procurement lifecycle, serving customers across residential, commercial, and industrial construction. Forest also opens up about Parspec’s growth strategy, from landing and expanding with major distributors to scaling up their product offering, which has driven significant revenue increases and attracted $31 million in capital. 

Listeners will gain valuable insights as Forest discusses lessons learned around product-market fit, nurturing referenceable customers, and managing investor relationships through effective signaling. He also teases exciting new developments on Parspec’s roadmap, aimed at supporting both distributors and contractors with even more automation and transparency. If you’re interested in SaaS growth, usage-based pricing, or the ways AI is reshaping traditional industries, this episode offers a front-row seat to real-world innovations and strategies for scaling a successful startup. 

Show Notes: 

00:00 AI-Enhanced Construction Procurement Platform 

05:07 "Automated Product Documentation Launch" 

09:52 Validating Product Roadmap with Customers 

11:59 Preemptive Fundraising and Investor Relations 

14:33 Delayed Marketing Strategy Adjustment 

17:15 Usage-Based Pricing Model Explanation 

22:35 HQ & Engineering Team Locations 

23:53 "Full-Cycle Procurement Solution Platform" 

Links: 

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/parspec-raises-11-5-million-in-seed-round 

https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/parspec-raises-20-million-in-series-a 

Forest Flager’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/forestflager/ 

Parspec’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/parspec 

Parspec’s Website: https://www.parspec.io/ 

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